Hi guys, Am bored and fancy making a thread. (Matthitis?) Anyway, since its pretty much accepted that ourselves and City will be occupying the top 2 slots of the league, I was wondering what your thoughts were on 3rd and 4th spot. Looks like the contenders will be: Arsenal Liverpool Manchester United Spurs Southampton Who do we think will win a coveted CL spot? Do you guys have any preferences? I think everyone would like to see Southampton nick a CL spot, but they seem to, finally, be slipping down the league, albeit much later than people predicted. A great feat when you consider their squad was cannibalized in the summer, but Koeman has made some very astute signings, I just feel now, at the tail end of the season, as legs get tired earlier, that their lack of squad strength will now come to the fore and they will miss out. United under the #tacticalgenius seem to be grinding out results, even if they are not playing very well at the moment. LvG doesn't seem to know their best formation or what their best XI is and is tinkering a lot, but they have world class players who can win games, problem is though, both Arsenal and Pool seem to have found their forms from last season and are on a late surge. Which brings me on to Liverpool, woefully inept at the start of the season, they seem to have found some oomph once again and are starting to get their **** together, even without Suarez, in the like of Sterling, Sturridge and Coutinho, they have players who can cause problems, though their defence is still suspect imo. Arsenal likewise, Giroud seems to have found his goal scoring feet of late and they will take enough points off the minnows to stay in contention, plus Wenger is the 4th place master. I think they will grab a CL spot almost certainly. Spurs. Like Pool and Arse they seemt to have found some late form, most of their problems earlier on stemmed from a lack of goal scoring prowess. Harry Kane has rectified this somewhat. But can they stop being so inconsistent, great one week, dire the next? If so, they have a real chance. At the start of the season I figured United would get top 4 along with Arsenal. At the moment, I think Arsenal will get in, with either United or Pool. Will be great watching those two old rivals go head to head.
I'd be amazed if it wasn't 2 from Arsenal, United and Liverpool so I'm not even going to look at the other 2. Preference? Not really. I probably detest United the least but would find another season out of the C.L funny due to the money spent, LVG, MethhinRed etc. Also United in the long run are a bigger threat so if I had to, I'd have Arsenal and Pool make 3rd and 4th and that's also what I think will happen. Arsenal are flat track bullies and always make top 4 as a result. They are well placed and soon to be out of Europe so will push on, Liverpool are in a rich vein of form and have United at home coming up and also now out of Europe. United are inconsistent and have a tough run in. They'll miss out unless LVG starts picking a proper team consistently with Rooney not in midfield etc
Seriously though, am starting to think Pool might steal Uniteds top 4 spot. LvG just isn't convincing me at all.
Who should b expected to make it? United and Arsenal Who do I think will make it? Arsenal and Liverpool Who woudl I like to make it? Southampton and Spurs. The first one is because people are expecting United to have enough. The second one I'd say Arsenal are beating the lower teams with ease, and Liverpool seem to be on fire. One loss in eighteen domestic games I think it is, LVG would be proud of that. Plus United have the hardest run in, compounded by the fact that they messed up the easiest start to the season. As for the final one, I'd love Southampton to make it due to it being a shock and I think some of their perfromances this season have been underated. Obviously hopign we dent that in their next game. As for Spurs, I would just find it funny to see the trio tipped for the top four (United, Arsenal and Pool) all dumped into the Europa League for next season. Whilst Everton also get in the CL via the Europa Not gunna happen but would be highly enjoyable.
Has anyone seen United's next load of fixtures? Obviously they have Arsenal in the cup. But in the league they also have City, Us, Liverpool, Everton, Spurs and Newcastle away out of 7 games. That's some run. They won't be in the top four come the end of that I suspect.
Aye United's run in is harsh!! Gotta think that Pool will over take them after those games if they keep up their current form. Also goes to show how LvG has been inadequate, has had by far the easiest fixtures so far and is hanging on to the top 4 by a thread.
And all this without European football, the thing a lot of United fans held as a reason for Liverpool's success last year. I think UIR referred to it as Liverpool being 'part timers'.
Liverpool have surprised me, they were so bad early on in the season, didn't expect them to pick themselves up and get some form. This coupled with United's huff and puff hoofball performances has convinced me that Liverpool are well placed to win a CL spot once again. I thought United would smash a top 4 spot more or less uncontested. Not looking so.....
I hope you're right, it would be a right kick in the nuts if they failed to get that spot this season.
I'd argue Arsenal are in the same boat that United are. Both sides aren't playing particularly well but are getting the results. They're probably still the favourites although as it's been pointed out, United do have a lot of tough games on paper from now until the end of the season. Results haven't really gone according to who the better side was on paper this season though so I think it's a bit too symplistic to judge the run in on that. Liverpool are currently playing the best football and have had to come from the furthest behind to get into the mix. I guess that makes them a bit of a favourite unless the wheels fall off again, or Rodgers has a moment of madness and makes Gerrard an automatic starter from now until the end of the season. Us and Southampton are the obvious outsiders. Southampton's attacking players have been in woeful form lately but they're keeping themselves in it and if they can get Pelle and Tadic playing like they started the season they should be in the mix at the end of the season. For us, our start to the season was very poor, though not quite as poor as Liverpool's. The moment it really started to click for us was Everton at home. It was probably a combination of finally having players that buy into the system playing regularly and going through a period where we were playing sides who had the same time to prepare as us(Europa League break). My biggest concern is that we'll start to burn out. I still think we've got a good chance of challenging for the 4th come the end of the season and would be disappointed if we finished more than 3/4 points adrift, unless 2 sides go on an incredible run of form.
Sunday - I hope Soton lose against us and then go on a very good run. We need Soton playing for 4th spot, since they play city on the last round. Goons & Manures are relative threat to us. So My preference obviously will be Soton & Pool.
I believe it will be Arsenal & Liverpool. United couldn't score in a brothel and The Spuds don't have the bollocks.
I think the run in might do for Utd, if they do make the 4 they will have earned it. I suspect it will be Liverpool and Spurs, Arsenal are not impressive, though they seem to see top 4 as a Trophy and organise their season to drop out of contention in everything else. Pretty close this season, really anyones guess.
Arsenal and Liverpool for me. I said United at the start of the season but they've been consistantly average throughout the season and now Liverpool have found their feet I expect them to overtake.
I'm actually amazed that United have as many points as they do. Other than a little spell pre xmas, they've been so average and were very very lucky to have got 6 points from them away games at Arsenal and Southampton in particular where they had about 1 shot on target in each. I really struggle to see with some of the players they have, how he can be getting it so wrong (performance wise probably more than results wise as they are still winning games - just).
